"The only players we will move on are the ones that are coming up short. You can’t have that at a massive football club like this.

"We will have to move them on. We can’t have mediocre players at Newcastle United. But we won’t be selling our best players."

Kinnear's statement will no doubt provide manager Alan Pardew with a boost ahead of the new season and the 66-year-old director of football says Pardew is "delighted" to be working with him.

"Before I had a meeting with [owner] Mike [Ashley], [managing director] Derek [Llambias] said he’s informed Alan, and Alan said 'Great news – I’m delighted with that. At last I’ve got somebody who’s a football guy'. Derek told me he’s had a long talk with Alan, and explained that I’m coming in as director of football.

"He [Llambias] is going to go on the finance side and anything to do with football is coming my side.

"I am going to be delighted to be working with Alan. I saw Alan as a player – he was a heck of a player – and we bumped into each other a couple of times when he was West Ham manager.

"We always bump into each other at the Manager of the Year awards. Last year I was at the awards when Alan won it. I said 'congratulations, but you have to get two more to catch me!'

"We are very open-minded and good with each other. I have the utmost respect for him and I cannot see any problems between the two of us. I am not the type of guy who causes problems for the sake of it. I want the best for all of us."